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Primal vs Canidae

Primal vs. Canidae

In this comparison article for Primal vs Canidae, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal and Canidae, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Canidae vs Primal comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Primal Review Page or Canidae Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Canidae vs. Primal

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Primal Dog Food vs. Canidae Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodPrimalCanidae
Crude Protein48.0%29.2%
Crude Fat26.7%15.2%
Crude Fiber4.6%5.3%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodPrimalCanidae
Crude Protein49.5%39.6%
Crude Fat28.4%23.7%
Crude Fiber5.3%7.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

On average, Primal dry dog food recipes contain 18.83% more protein than Canidae recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Canidae and Primal. Similarly, Primal wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than Canidae wet foods.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry dog food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more fat. On average, Primal guarantees about 11.50% more protein than Canidae. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more fat (about 4.73% more).


As you can see, Primal and Canidae guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Canidae and Primal also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Primal Cat Food vs. Canidae Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodPrimalCanidae
Crude Protein50.1%36.1%
Crude Fat24.0%16.5%
Crude Fiber4.8%4.4%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodPrimalCanidae
Crude Protein54.6%48.8%
Crude Fat25.4%19.8%
Crude Fiber4.1%7.6%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

The comparison table above shows that Primal dry cat foods provide significantly more protein than Canidae. More specifically, Primal guarantees at least 14.09% more protein. For wet cat foods, Primal provides more protein (about 5.72% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
  • Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

The table shows that Canidae provides far less fat than Primal. The difference in fat content is roughly 7.53%. In addition, Primal wet cat foods also provide more fat than Canidae wet foods.


Canidae and Primal both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Canidae typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.43% more).

Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Canidae Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Canidae.

Canola Oil
Iron Oxide
White Rice
Pea Protein
Caramel Color
Garlic Powder
Powdered Cellulose

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Canidae.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Canidae?

Primal has been recalled 2 times.

  • March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
  • Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size

Canidae has been recalled once.

  • May 5, 2012: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodPrimalCanidae
Per Pound$45.57$2.94
Per Calorie$0.0227$0.0018
Dry Cat FoodPrimalCanidae
Per Pound$45.93$3.19
Per Calorie$0.0230$0.0020

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Primal or Canidae, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Primal or Canidae will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Primal and Canidae. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Primal Pet Foods

You can purchase Primal pet foods from the following stores:


15 Recipes In-Stock Today

20 Recipes In-Stock Today

15 Recipes In-Stock Today

14 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Canidae Pet Foods

You can purchase Canidae pet food products from these retailers:


55 Recipes In-Stock Today

43 Recipes In-Stock Today

38 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductPrimalCanidae
Dry Dog FoodNone42 Recipes
Wet Dog FoodNone15 Recipes
Dog Treats6 Treats12 Treats
Dry Cat FoodNone13 Recipes
Wet Cat FoodNone23 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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